Sender: <marv@lancaironline.net> (Marvin Kaye)
To: flyrotary@lancaironline.net
Date: Sun, 04 Jan 2004 16:12:12 -0500
Message-ID: <redirect-2916831@logan.com>
From: "marc" <cardmarc@charter.net>
Subject: alchol in mogas...test and avial
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I found this interesting; I suppose too much alcohol might make the fuel
more susceptible to high altitude or vapor lock maladies.......so cool
that fuel.

Subject: Checking autogas for alcohol

Since I have the Peterson autogas STC for my O320, I thought I should
have the proper tools for testing autogas for alcohol. Peterson wants us
to avoid gasoline with alcohol. In fact they warn us against it. They
recommend a graded beaker with which to mix a little water and a lot of
gasoline. So I bought a beaker that is about as tall as your fist with a
thumb sticking up. The diameter is about the same as a fat fountain pen.
It is a 10 ml beaker with gradations on it. I put 1 ml of water in the
beaker followed by about 9 ml of autogas. Then I put my thumb over the
top and shook the heck out of it. There was alcohol in the autogas,
because the line where the water had been just moved up almost 1 ml to
just under the 2 ml mark. Or about 10% alcohol. Duh. 

The test works very quickly. There is little need to allow it to rest
very long. 15 or 20 seconds maximum. I bought the beaker from the
pharmaceutical chain store "Medicine Shoppe". But you can probably get
one from almost any normal drug store. They will likely have to order
it. 

The people selling gasoline usually have no idea about the product they
are selling, so it is up to us to make the test. Be careful of where you
dispose of the mixture! If you are observed by the environmental Nazis,
you may face a fine and stern lecture. I guess we could pour it on a rag
and pretend to clean the tar off the side of your car.

A user

Comment:With the phaseout of MTBE by Federal regulation, the areas of
the country that require oxygenate only have ethanol readily available
to use, so more and more mogas is going to be ethanol contaminated.  If
you have your own 10,000 gallon tank, you will be able to buy RBOB,
reformulated blendstock for oxygenate blending, IOW mogas before the
ethanol is added.  This will be generally available since ethanol is
being blended at the truck terminal, NOT at the refinery, due to
pipeline problems in dealing with ethanol (it favors water, as you've
noted, and God never made a dry pipeline).

Marc Wiese